Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho has built a prominent media presence as co-host of FS1’s Speakeasy. On Thursday, he stepped into the Cam Newton conversation.
Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP and First Take contributor, recently gave BlazeTV’s Jason Whitlock space on his 4th&1 podcast to publicly call ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith a ‘fraud’.
Several voices in sports media have weighed in since, including ESPN’s Ryan Clark, who posted on X calling the decision disloyal.
Acho offered his own view on Speakeasy on March 27. Per @speakeasytlkshw on X, he said:
“If you [Cam Newton] rock with a dude in Stephen A. Smith, I’m not going to go talk to his very known and public op who has slandered his name.”
Acho Points Directly at Loyalty and What It Demands
The foundation of Acho’s argument sits in what Newton has at ESPN. Newton signed a multi-year deal with the network in the summer of 2025, making him a consistent presence on First Take alongside Smith.
Whitlock’s March 19 appearance on Newton’s podcast went deep into his grievances with Smith, including challenging a well-known story about Smith earning a college basketball scholarship after hitting 17 consecutive three-pointers.
“If you [Cam Newton] rock with a dude in Stephen A. Smith, I’m not going to go talk to his very known and public op who has slandered his name”
– @EmmanuelAcho weighs in on the criticism of Cam Newton being disloyal for bringing Jason Whitlock on his show pic.twitter.com/F17kbPMVLh
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) March 27, 2026
Emmanuel Acho
Oct 26, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho (51) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Smith responded on his YouTube channel, addressing Newton directly:
“Cam Newton. Next time, my brother, cause you know I love you. You’re gonna interview somebody and bring me up? Don’t just sit there and let them talk s**t. Ask questions.”
Ryan Clark, also a First Take contributor, had already posted on X calling Newton’s move disloyal the day before Acho’s comments.
Acho did not soften his position. On Speakeasy, he added: “Jason is a really good troll. Jason Whitlock knows how to get under people’s skin at the highest level.”
He also said of Smith: “Say what you will about Stephen A, and I said a lot, Stephen A is the best in the business, and it is not particularly close.”
Newton has not walked back his decision. In a video posted to the 4th&1 YouTube channel on March 25, he argued that a host cannot control what a guest says.
Cam Newton's Blunt Confession on Women Friends Leaves Ashley Nicole Moss Awkwardly Speechless
Cam Newton’s Blunt Confession on Women Friends Leaves Ashley Nicole Moss Awkwardly Speechless
(Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
“You cannot allow people to come on your platform and you control how it goes,” Newton said. “You only can allow them to speak their truth how they know their truth to be.”
His position is that he was unaware the claims Whitlock made were false during the live conversation.
Smith, who signed a five-year, $100 million deal with ESPN in March 2025, remains the most prominent figure at the network.